Of all the moves the Los Angeles Chargers have made this offseason through the Draft and free agency, nothing has topped the excitement of the Mike McDaniel hire.
As far as offensive coordinators went this offseason, McDaniel was the premier talent on the market. He was seen as one of the most promising young coordinators during his lone season at the helm of the San Francsico 49ers offense. He then led the Miami Dolphins to back-to-back top-10 finishes in total yards in his first two seasons as head coach.
The optimism for what he can accomplish with the Chargers couldn't be more rampant.
But Marcel Louis-Jacques' recent piece for ESPN exploring the Dolphins' culture shift since McDaniel's departure highlights an inescapable reality for the former head coach. Although Louis-Jacques focuses primarily on new head coach Jeff Hafley, here's how the piece starts:
"For four years, under then-coach Mike McDaniel and general manager Chris Grier, the Miami Dolphins were a reflection of the city's reputation -- flashy, star-driven, expensive. Their players were household names, even their coach wore designer clothes and jewelry... Like the city they represent, the Dolphins teemed with star talent -- but with those stars came star-sized egos, which led to accountability issues within the locker room, consecutive losing seasons, and ultimately led to this offseason's complete teardown." Marcel Louis-Jacques, ESPN
We can quibble back and forth about how much of the blame Miami's downfall lays at McDaniel's feet. But the reality is that, as he comes to Los Angeles, this is McDaniel's reputation as a head coach: flashy, innovative, but ultimately undisciplined.
In bringing him in as a coordinator under Jim Harbaugh, however, the Chargers have the chance to give McDaniel the ultimate gift.
A chance to re-shape his reputation.
The Chargers aren't just a stepping stone or McDaniel, but they have the chance to help him regain his footing on the coaching market
Part of the package with McDaniel are the 'antics'. He'll have his funny moments in interviews and on the field, and he'll always have his quirks as a person.
But at the end of the day, that's not McDaniel's selling point. It's his offense.
Under Greg Roman, the Chargers continuously failed to innovate, and it often seemed like they didn't have answers whenever a defense had supposedly 'figured them out'. It's hard to lay the blame for last season entirely on Roman.
But the expectation for McDaniel is that he does have the answers. He's spoken in-depth about his plan to have Justin Herbert get the ball out earlier, maximizing the potential for YAC on shorter routes and overcoming some of the deficits the team will face on the interior of the offensive line. His outside-zone heavy scheme should make the most of the talent Los Angeles has both in the backfield and in their in-line blockers. After two mediocre years to end his tenure in Miami, a resurrection of the Chargers could be exactly what McDaniel needs to bolster his résumé again.
Another important consideration here is the reputation of Jim Harbaugh. Sure, Harbaugh has his antics as well, and his 'football guy' demeanor can often be seen as somewhat of a shtick. But if there's one word to describe Harbaugh, it's discipline. As a coach who's made his career primarily without calling plays on either offense or defense, that has to be his calling card.
If McDaniel and Harbaugh find a harmonious relationship, and the Chargers find success offensively, McDaniel has a serious chance to cast off the shadow his time in Miami has left on his coaching career.
For one of the most innovative coaches in the league (at only 43 years old), that would be the greatest gift imaginable.
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